Post by drystyx on Mar 4, 2019 18:47:18 GMT
10/10 film can't be overrated.
Amazingly, Newman made his two very best films the same year. This one and HOMBRE. I choose HOMBRE as his very best, but this one is almost a tie, like an Alydar to an Affirmed, or Easy Goer to a Sunday Silence.
It's hard to understand why Newman chose this year to be in his two classic films. The only other Newman film that comes close is HUD. He probably expected EXODUS to fare better, and the only real trouble with EXODUS is that it lagged a lot.
After those four, his movies go way downhill.
I'm usually not into movies that glorify criminals, but this one is different. It really doesn't glorify the criminals. It more or less shows their faults.
The great thing about Luke is that he never tries to be the "hero". When he is first questioned about if he wants to be trouble. He shrugs and says meekly that he doesn't. He really just wants to get along, and in the meantime he makes some critiques that get him in trouble, but never in a loud or obnoxious way.
He becomes a legend, a working class hero out of sheer Nature. He never pushes to do it. He only pushes to be the best he can be.
This film comes a year after Guy Stockwell plays a similar character in a more relaxed depiction of Beau Geste. Both probably overlapped a bit in filming, so Luke really doesn't copy Beau, but the similarities are striking. It shows a mentality of some writers during that period to relax the hate and emotion so prevalent in the sixties.
It's unfortunate that this "relaxed" anti-hate was pushed aside in later movies, although Newman tended to choose roles in "relaxed anti-hate" movies.
The "anti-hate" attitude of Luke is obviously abhorrent to the modern day bubble boy, who would rather worship heroism that is more akin to the hijackers of 2001. The hate of extreme right and left proves that we need more films like COOL HAND LUKE.
Amazingly, Newman made his two very best films the same year. This one and HOMBRE. I choose HOMBRE as his very best, but this one is almost a tie, like an Alydar to an Affirmed, or Easy Goer to a Sunday Silence.
It's hard to understand why Newman chose this year to be in his two classic films. The only other Newman film that comes close is HUD. He probably expected EXODUS to fare better, and the only real trouble with EXODUS is that it lagged a lot.
After those four, his movies go way downhill.
I'm usually not into movies that glorify criminals, but this one is different. It really doesn't glorify the criminals. It more or less shows their faults.
The great thing about Luke is that he never tries to be the "hero". When he is first questioned about if he wants to be trouble. He shrugs and says meekly that he doesn't. He really just wants to get along, and in the meantime he makes some critiques that get him in trouble, but never in a loud or obnoxious way.
He becomes a legend, a working class hero out of sheer Nature. He never pushes to do it. He only pushes to be the best he can be.
This film comes a year after Guy Stockwell plays a similar character in a more relaxed depiction of Beau Geste. Both probably overlapped a bit in filming, so Luke really doesn't copy Beau, but the similarities are striking. It shows a mentality of some writers during that period to relax the hate and emotion so prevalent in the sixties.
It's unfortunate that this "relaxed" anti-hate was pushed aside in later movies, although Newman tended to choose roles in "relaxed anti-hate" movies.
The "anti-hate" attitude of Luke is obviously abhorrent to the modern day bubble boy, who would rather worship heroism that is more akin to the hijackers of 2001. The hate of extreme right and left proves that we need more films like COOL HAND LUKE.